April 18, 2013
Tiger Tales
The 10th Annual
Upcoming Events
Two opportunities for parents to join their
son/daughter at school are coming up!
This year in May all students will have the
opportunity to participate in Relay Recess. Relay
Recess will take the place of our Jr.
Governor’s Cup. As shown on their website
(www.relayrecess.org) the Relay Recess program
increases knowledge of healthy behaviors that will
help students stay well and involves them in fun,
physical activity. The Relay Recess program brings
our school together for a cause that touches
everyone. By participating in the program, we’ll
be supporting the American Cancer Society’s
lifesaving mission to create a world with less
cancer and more birthdays! If you happen by
Radley on Friday, May 17th you’ll see groups of
staff members and students walking the track,
tallying laps in support of cancer research. In a
group effort, we will have someone walking the
track from 8:15-3:15 that day! Staff and students
will have the opportunity to donate funds in
support of the American Cancer as well. Come join
us, and walk along with your child’s class!
On Tuesday, May 30th Radley will host its annual
Fun Day. With assistance of some of our EVMS 8th
graders and our teachers, students will complete
numerous stations with different activities out on
our field and track. Grades two and three will
participate from 9:00-11:00. Grades four and five
will be outside from 1:00-3:00.
Academic Fest
Each year students who achieve their
independent reading goals throughout the year
are invited to a celebration acknowledging their
effort and achievement.
Staff members, community volunteers, and the
PTO organization make it possible by providing a
variety of activities and a Bar-B-Q lunch for
students. This will be held on Saturday morning,
May 11th
We look forward to welcoming approximately 300
students who will be invited this year!
April/May
April 22nd
Early Release 1:30
April 25th
May 2nd
5th/6th Track meet @ EVMS 4pm
5th/6th Track meet @ EVMS 4pm
May 3rd
No School – Vigilante Day
May 7th
PTO Meeting 6pm EVMS Library
May 10th
Student of the Month Assembly 2:20pm
May 11th
Academic Festival
May 13th
School Board Meeting 7pm EVMS
May 17th
Recess Relay for Life
May 23rd
5th grade Science Fair 1-3pm
May 27th
No School – Memorial Day
Tiger Tales
Radley Elementary School
The PTO Zone
Principal’s Perspective
She’s petite for a fifth grader but with a smile rarely seen that
can light up a room when it surfaces. She carries the weight
of the world with her to school every day.
Our fabulous PTO is in need of some
additional members. PTO coordinates a variety
of activities throughout the year to benefit East
Helena schools and students. Each year PTO
raises money to fund teacher grant for
classroom materials, field trips, and other
requested items. PTO also contributes to
special assemblies, school events, and big
ticket items that are not in the District’s
budget.
To say her home is dysfunctional is an enormous
understatement. Basic needs of safety, emotional support,
physical care as well as nutrition are far from a given and
rarely available. Her clothes are worn and she’s frequently
hungry. Five hours of sleep each night is rare. She hasn’t
been to a doctor since she was five, entering kindergarten.
She has a consistent tooth ache. She’s endured both mental
and physical abuse of the worse varieties during her first 11
years. Her two siblings are scattered to other ‘homes’. Adults
walk in and out of her life on a frequent basis including her
parents; both of whom struggle with addiction. It takes
months of work to gain her trust. She expects trust to be
broken at any moment. She’s living with a grandmother
who’s not sure she can keep her much longer. She thinks
about this often….where will she go? Who will want her?.
Parents play an important role in East Helena’s
school community. Whether you have a
student at Eastgate or Radley Elementary, East
Valley Middle School, or any combination of
these schools; we encourage you to get
involved! The next PTO meeting will be held
Tuesday, May 7th at 6pm in the EVMS library or
you can contact a board member through the
PTO link at: http//www.ehps.k12.mt.us
School serves as a safety net. While here she gets two free
meals a day and new clothes from time to time.. She doesn’t
look forward to weekends and vacations. Change means
trauma. Academics are a struggle. There is no academic
support from home. Grandma has her hands full. She’s on
her own.
Radley Mission Statement
East Helena Public Schools in partnership with
the parents and community will offer a caring
environment where students gain knowledge,
grow in wisdom, develop confidence and value
leaning
for life.
Radley’s
Bully Bite
Her saving grace is that she’s here. For seven short hours a
day, she’s surrounded by a staff that notices, cares and
quietly responds. They give her the gift of their time and
they make a difference. She wonders (along with her
principal) where she would be without them. The thought of
leaving here is almost too much to shoulder.
Parents, here is a question to talk with your
Radley
child about! What does
it meanElementary
to exclude
Principal–
Mr.
McMahon
someone?
Grade Two: Mrs. Arntson Mrs. Dachs
Mrs. Ford
Staff - 2012-13
Administrative Assistant– Mrs. Roach
Mrs. Hauer Miss. Briggeman
Mrs. Warren Mrs. Hager
Grade Three: Mrs. Dartman Mrs. Bright Mrs. Logan Mrs. Jones Mrs. Scoles Mrs. Penner
Grade Four: Mrs. Chadwick Mrs. Rogstad Mrs. Clement Mrs. Dusenberry Mrs. Bender
Grade Five: Mrs. Siroky Mrs. Solomon Mrs. Haines
PE– Mr. Ireland/ Ms. Hopewell
Counselor - Mrs. Odermann
and Mrs. Lunday
Miss. Townsend
Music– Mr. Pipinich/ Mrs. Mazanec
School Nurse—Mrs. Hutchinson
Title I - Mrs. Metzger
Mrs. Torkildson
Mrs. Mosher
Library– Mrs. Dexter
Special Education— Mrs. Teders
Instructional Coach– Mrs. Gustin
Instructional Tutors–Mrs. Stonehouse Ms. Scott Mrs. Peterson
Indian Impact Instructor – Mrs. Barb Anez
Paraprofessionals – Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Gunderson, Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Dunlap,
Mrs. Perry, Mrs. Hoye, Mrs. Helfert, Mrs. Holmlund, Mrs. Goldsberry
Custodians: Mr. Hickmott
Mr. Palmer
Lunch Staff: Deb Felton, Tammy Murphy, Diane Harrison, Sheila Covey, Debi Hauck, Aaron Strong
Tiger Tales
Radley Elementary School
East Helena Trustee and Levy Request
East Helena Trustee and Levy Request
by Ron Whitmoyer, Superintendent
East Helena Schools will have four area people running for the school board at the May 7th
school election. As has become customary in the East Helena School District due to the fast
paced world we live in, the election will be held by mail ballot. Also on the ballot will be a mill
levy request of $136,000 for covering the cost of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act.
(PPACA) or otherwise known as Obama Care.
The four candidates for two seats on the East Helena School Board are Marcia Ellermeyer,
Jonathon Jackson, James Schell and Scott Walter. All of the candidates live in your community
and have distinguished themselves in a number of ways and in different venues. A future article
in the next couple of weeks in the Prickly Pear Junction will give voters an opportunity to learn
about the candidates and their qualifications.
The levy election for $136,000 was decided on because the school district has to comply with
the PPACA Affordable Care Act. Currently there are over 35 employees in the district that will
qualify for health insurance that are not presently covered. As a result of the PPACA “Obama
Care” the district must financially find funds to provide this health insurance coverage. Since
the School Board has always been fiscally responsible with levies and the school operating
budget, these funds are not able to be absorbed into the operations budget without making
significant cuts into staffing. The board reviewed this idea in March, but in looking at the results
of the student test scores over the last several years it was decided that these high levels of
academic achievement need to continue and that making significant cuts in staffing, increasing
class sizes and reducing instructional materials in order to meet this legislation, would be
counterproductive to the education of the kids. As a result, the Board is asserting that to
maintain high levels of academic achievement, they need to pursue staffing at current levels and
simply ask for support of providing health coverage for staff by requesting that voters approve
this levy. This levy would increase taxes on a $100,000 house by $14.73 per year or $1.23 per
month or on a $200,000 by twice that figure.
The election will be by mail ballot and those ballots are scheduled to start arriving on April 19th.
Please watch for this official ballot and cast your vote by returning the ballot as directed or by
simply dropping the ballot off at the East Helena Schools Central Office at 226 Clinton Street in
East Helena.